Facebook's mysterious hardware division is working on tech to read brain waves that could let users send thoughts to each other

Mark Zuckerberg's dream of gadgets that let humans read each
other's thoughts and communicate with brain waves may be moving
closer to reality.

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A secretive new research division that Facebook created last year
is developing "brain-computer interface" technology that sounds a
lot like the telepathy of science fiction movies.

Several recent job postings listed by Facebook's Building 8 group
describe a project involving "neuroimaging" and
"electrophysiological data" to create a "communications platform
of the future."

An open
position for a brain-computer interface engineer seeks a
Ph.D. in neuroscience who can help with a related project from
"inception to product" over a two-year period. Another listing
seeks an engineer who can "develop audio signal processing
algorithms" for a "communication and computing platform of the
future."

Facebook declined to elaborate on the job listings, but
a 2015 comment from CEO Zuckerberg suggests that the company
could indeed be working on some kind of brain-controlled,
telepathic communication device.

"One day, I believe we'll be able to send full rich thoughts to
each other directly using technology," Zuckerberg said during a
June 2015 Q&A. "You'll just be able to think of something and
your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if
you'd like."

"Non-invasive techniques"

Other listings seek engineers who can
develop "novel non-invasive neuroimaging technologies"
and
create "realistic and immersive haptics experiences."
Neuroimaging is an advanced field of science that uses various
techniques to scan and understand what's happening in the human
brain, while haptic technology simulates a sense of touch with
computers.

Facebook already appears to be bringing in talent to map the
brain. Mark Chevillet, a program manager of applied neuroscience
at John Hopkins University joined Facebook in September as a
"technical project lead," according to his LinkedIn profile.

It's unclear what kind of technology might ultimately allow
Facebook to realize this vision. In the past, companies have
tried using headbands packed with special sensors to measure
certain brain signals, and it's possible that Facebook could take
a similar approach.

Such a product, although likely a long ways off, would represent
a major leap forward in computing and would put Facebook, the
world's largest social network, at the forefront of the
intersection of technology and science.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has pioneered the
ambitious "moonshot" projects to reinvent everything from cars to
healthcare. But Facebook is ramping up its efforts,
poaching Google's Regina Dugan in April 2016 to spearhead the
new Building 8 team.

Building Facebook's own DARPA

caption

Regina Dugan

source

AllThingsD/Asa Mathat

Little is publicly known about Building 8, other than its broad
mission to develop consumer hardware products that advance
Facebook's mission of "connecting the world."

When Dugan was hired, Facebook said that Dugan would be in charge
of building "technologies that fluidly blend physical and digital
worlds."

Before Google, Dugan was the director for the U.S government's
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. Job listings
for Building 8 describe it as a "DARPA-style" environment that
operates on "aggressive, fixed timelines, with extensive use of
partnerships in universities, small and large businesses."

The two-year term limit on many Building 8 job listings
suggests that the division intends to also work similarly to
Alphabet's X division, which is known for developing new products
within fixed time frames before either shutting them down or
spinning them out as standalone businesses.

Building 8 has yet to officially announce any products, but these
job listings indicate that it's starting to ramp up internal
projects. In December, Facebook
announced a partnership between Building 8 and 17
universities to collaborate on scientific research.

Do you know more about what's going on in Building 8? Contact
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